Former Rangers chairman slams the SFA
Yesterday the SFA published the scathing details of an enquiry that led to them issuing a 12 month transfer embargo and £160,000 fine as well as a lifetime football ban for Craig Whyte.
Johnston was a member of the Rangers takeover panel but despite issuing a statement of concern on the day that Whyte bought Rangers the US-based businessman remained on board until he was sacked alongwith Martin Bain.
As a director Johnston had a duty of care to shareholders but blames the SFA for the state that Whyte has put the club in.
“All information we received independently was passed on to David Murray as the seller of the shares,” Johnston told the Daily Record. “All our concerns were expressed to the Murray Group and the one person who could actually act on them.
“I’d throw it back to the SFA. At no point did we receive a call asking for any information about Whyte. They did not reach out. If they had we would have been happy to share what we knew.
“The SFA sat back so far they might as well have not existed. Why didn’t the SFA ask why board members were sacked or felt forced to resign? We spoke publicly and loudly about our concerns.
“Do the SFA not read papers or watch television? That’s bull****.
“If they wanted to pick up the phone we would have been happy to talk but they showed no interest whatsoever.”
Johnston added: “The SFA punished Whyte and acknowledged he was responsible for approving payment of every bill from Dundee United’s ticket money to the local newsagent.
“How can they turn around and also find Rangers guilty? Rangers were, are and always will be the victims in all of this.
“The SFA’s actions against the club are akin to someone being murdered and their family being told it was all their fault.
“I feel sorry for Dundee United and Hearts – and everyone else who wasn’t paid – but the biggest victims of Whyte’s malfeasance were Rangers themselves.
“For the SFA to then find Rangers guilty is diabolically incongruous. It’s just not logical.”
Johnston’s fellow directors John McClelland and John Greig remained on the board at Rangers until October but have never gone public on their reasons for resigning.
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